


Love Story

by americanhoney913



Series: The Bull and the Huckleberry [1]
Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-27 12:49:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5049226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/americanhoney913/pseuds/americanhoney913
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucas and Maya after high school and college. They've moved out of the city and nearer to the beach. This is their story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Story

_I was standing there_

_Crying in the kitchen_

Maya stumbles down the stairs, her arms spread before her in the dark hallway so she won't bump into anything. There is a strange lump in her throat and she swears as her fist raps against the kitchen door. Her whole body feels heavy; it hurts to breath as if she has been crushed under a million tons and is somehow still alive.

She shakes her head as she walks over to the glowing numbers on the old coffee maker. Six in the morning and she can't fall back asleep. Maya mechanically pours water in and spoons in enough ground up beans so that it won't taste too bitter… even though she feels as though it'll taste bitter either way. She sits down at the kitchen table with a sigh and rests her head on the cool wood. She can't think what is wrong with her.

Everything had been fine the night before. She and her boyfriend, Lucas, had gone out to a nice dinner and then had come home to watch _Frozen_ (her favorite Disney movie). He knows she was into childish movies. He teases her relentlessly about it— she never takes it to heart— but she knows that he is just as much of a child on the inside as she is, although she’s better at hiding it. Lucas makes her feel like she can be free to act like the child she never got to be. And what's more, he'll pretend he’s not crying at the end _West Side Story_ , which makes him all that more of a teddy bear in her eyes.

So why is she feeling like the whole world is crashing down on her? Why is she feeling like she had fallen into a black hole and not even the sound of his snores can get her out of her funk? Maya used to giggle so loud it would wake him up. It not like this didn’t happen to her before she was with him, but after they fell into their relationship she doesn’t usually have these kinds of feelings. As she is pondering her moodiness, the coffee simmers and goes off. She jumps up and rushes over before she can wake him, not knowing that he is already rising from the bed upstairs.

_It's been one of those mornings_

_That's gonna last all day_

Maya swears loudly again as the scalding liquid slides down her throat before the lump is back. She places the coffee on the day-old newspaper before gripping the marble island, her arms spread and tense, knuckles white. She can't stifle the sob that comes from her mouth as tears begin to fall. She shakes her head, cursing at herself for crying over nothing. If she doesn't know why she was so down, then _why_ is she crying in the first place?

More tears poured down her cheeks and some find their way into her cup of the brown liquid, others finding the hollow of her throat to rest in. She presses the heel of one hand to her eye before she wanders over to the window. The sun is just beginning to rise, washing the room with a warm amber glow. Maya has always loved the sunrise—it’s one of the wonders she loves to paint every now and then — but today the sun isn't really doing anything to the strange mood she's stuck it. And she knows from experience that it's going to stick with her the whole day.

_And he comes in_

_Wraps his arms around me_

She doesn't see the golden haired man slip into the room as she continues to cry. Her whole body shakes with the sobs she's trying to contain and biting on her knuckles isn't helping at all. He watches as she presses her face to the glass and he knows at once what was going on.

Lucas doesn't say a thing as his feet seem to float over the cherry wood of the kitchen floor. The blond man presses his body against her back. She breathes deeply when she realizes who it is and leans back against him, her head on his shoulder. He buries his face in her hair, inhaling the lilac and vanilla that was so uniquely _her_ that it's amazing she hasn’t made a perfume for it. Lucas tangles their fingers across her stomach and just holds her as she cries. He kisses her neck and brushes tears from her eyes, reassuring her that he was there for her— even if he doesn't use words.

_And I don't even_

_Have to say a thing_

They stay in that position for as long as it takes the sun to come up. She sighs and the tension seems to slowly leave her body, but there is still that stupid lump in her throat she just _can't_ swallow.  Lucas kisses Maya’s forehead and softly, as if she is made of glass, turns her around in his arms. He brushes the last of the liquid sadness from her face, kissing each eyelid to clear the last traces, before his lips meet hers in a reassuring kiss. She doesn't smile— he doesn't expect her to— but he _can_ feel the small ghost of one in the quirk of her lip.      

He'll be there for her, even if he doesn't express it in words. He’s her rock, the man that pulled her from the ashes of her former life. Maya stood in the darkness until the country boy showed her what it was like to step into light and become part of the world. Her Cowboy, her Huckleberry, her best friend.

_That's what makes it love_

She lets him lead her into the living room, placing them both on the couch. Lucas feels her tuck her chin into the niche between shoulder and neck, her breath hot against his skin as she sighs. "I'm sorry," she whispers into the amber lighting of the room. Maya’s whole body is still shaking slightly in his arms and stray tears would spill over every once in a while.

"There's _nothing_ to be sorry for, Pancakes," he reassures her, rubbing her back in comfort. She looks up at him through those long lashes of hers; her ocean blue eyes looking sad and miserable.

_That's what makes it a love song_

"No," she shakes her head, golden tresses waving like flags. "I woke you up." His chuckle reverberates through her body and the echo makes her want to join in, but she doesn't. Her laugh is getting stuck in her throat, making her choke on her breath. Lucas rubs her back and kisses her neck, trying to sooth the pain he knows will always be there.

"I was up before the beep," he says as he reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "And I could feel that something was wrong."

"How?" she breathes.

"Because I know you," he tells her honestly. She blinks, looking deep into his eyes, and she can see he's being completely open with her… something he had never done in the past before they got together.

"I know," Maya whispers, pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth. "I know."

_He comes in_

_Slams the door behind him_

She's making fresh sweet tea—his favorite non-alcoholic drink—when he comes in. His eyebrows are furrowed with something akin to worry. Maya knows he's trying to hide it but he should also know that she can read him like an open book, although she seems to be the only one with that special ability. His eyes, like pools of the darkest place in the forest, are covered by his eyelids as he rubs the bridge of his nose.

_And he can't hide the_

_Worry on his face_

She can see a million things running through his mind; she can practically read them as they zip across his eyes. Lucas’ knuckles are clenched around the Dunkin' Donuts coffee in his hands. She's afraid that the cup is going to explode and spill scalding hot water all over the kitchen floor. She's worried that something's going to snap, but she has only seen him this close before when he’s defending his friends.

  _Even though I got_

_A million things to tell him_

Maya wants to tell him about how Riley might have found her a gallery to put her new pieces in—one that’s a little bit more renounce than she’s used to. She wants to tell him about how Farkle finally got into that NASA program, a huge accomplishment for a simple guy from New York City. But, with the way he's looking angrily off into the distance and the tick in his jaw is more pronounced, she knows that he just needs his space.

_I know right now_

_He just needs some space_

Maya doesn't know what to tell him to make the anger go away, so she just leaves the room with a sigh. She wanders through the house, up to the bed, where she pulls put the forms to put in her pieces and continues to jot down information she might have forgotten.

The blonde almost jumps when she hears something crack in the backyard, until she realizes that he's probably just chopping firewood, swinging that ax until he's calmed down. Maya sets down the pile of papers and lays her head on his pillow, breathing in Lucas’ comforting scent. She wonders what he's so worried about, but she won't ask him until he's ready to talk.

_That's what makes it love_

Soon enough, she's back downstairs in the kitchen finishing up dinner while the lemonade sits on the counter, condensation beading on the glass. She looks up from checking the temperate of the oven see him walking in, his light red shirt soaked with sweat and hair slicked down to his forehead.

"You okay?" Lucas asks, looking around at the candles she's lit and the soft country ballad playing in the background. Maya doesn't say anything, only pulls the chicken out of the oven. It's _Costco_ chicken but it's still good.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" she retorts. The corner of his mouth lifts up into a weak copy of what she knows is his signature smirk, but his eyes still shine with worry.

"I don't want to talk about it," he tells her sternly, his jaw twitching. She nods and places the chicken on the table, beckoning him to sit with her. Lucas comes over and they sit across from each other at the small table, his eyes on his food while her eyes are on him. "So, how was your day?" he asks, trying to get some small talk going.

_That's what makes it a love song_

She practically beams at him. "My agent thinks I might have a shot!" Her body is almost radiating happiness, her eyes and smile both like blinding lights. " _Behind the Door_ might actually take off now." Inspired by the work she’d done in middle school, she had continued to paint the doors of New York and even those in their small town after they’d moved. He smiles at her hopefulness; she is like the moon to his sun, the dark to his light.

"That's great, Pancakes," Lucas looks honestly excited for her, which he is. The rest of dinner is eaten in silence as each focuses on their meal. His hair is falling in his face, eyes not meeting her concerned blue orbs. She picks at her salad, her appetite disappearing as she becomes more concerned about the man she loves.

_That's what makes it love_

Lucas watches from his spot on the bed— a white wifebeater and a pair of sweats on— as Maya slips into a pair of boy shorts and a navy camisole, followed by his college sweatshirt that's still too big for her. His chuckle makes her look up, blue eyes narrowed in mock anger until she falls onto her side of the bed with a laugh of her own.

"Hey," her whisper catches his attention and her eyes as still soft with the worry she’s been harboring ever since he got home. "I just want to know that you're okay…" He sighs and runs a hand through his damp hair. He had showered while she was cleaning up dinner, giving her space to contemplate what might have gone wrong with his day.

_That's what makes it a love song_

"It's the boss again," Lucas admits, another sigh exiting his lips. She pouts and snuggles close to him, picking him arm up and wrapping it around her shoulder. He looks down at her with a small smile on his face. "But it's worth it, knowing that we might be able to get more than what we have now."

She's confused. "I'm happy with what I have now," Maya tells him. "All I really need is you; the rest is just background." He runs a hand through her golden locks, feeling her breath even on his neck. Lucas looks down to see a wide smile on her face and, with a kiss to her forehead, he shuts the light and settles in. Her arms wrap around one of his and he chuckles, pulling her closer by the waist. The dirty blond haired man lets his head fall back on the pillow as he settles in for a long night sleeping with the one he loves.

_Everybody always sings about it_

Her collection of _The Open Door_ takes off without a hitch. And while it might not be as popular as Van Goh’s flower paintings or Dega’s ballet dancers, she's still extremely proud of it. Since Maya best friend, Riley, got her into that art gallery, she’s been asked to show her works all across the country. She goes to LA and does talk shows with current artists; her agent is extremely on top of things. She’s been her best friend since first grade who went to school for business with a minor in communications. There, Riley realized that Farkle, the same guy who wanted to take over the world, was missing from her life and she decided to take that leap with him. They balance each other out— this was something she knew since high school— and she's so happy that her best friend got her dream. Now she’s helping the artist achieve her own.

The only part of the tour that sucks is being away from her Huckleberry. He would call her every day, text when he can, but Maya still misses the feel of his arms around her. She misses how his 5 o’clock shadow brushes against her cheek when they kiss, or the way he would tickle her until she stops pouting. Even being away from him for only a few months is pure torture; she can't even fathom a break up with him... not that either of them wants to.

"I'm sorry, Peaches," Riley says as they sit in her hotel room. Maya has a cup of black coffee cradled in her hand, her movements swirling the dregs around the bottom.

"Why're you sorry?" she asks, confusion swimming in her oceanic blue eyes. "I'm grateful for all you've done! I mean, without you, my art would never have been seen. I would never have gone beyond local coffee shops and galleries." She beams at her once awkward best friend because the other girl has grown up and filled out. Riley had once carried the awkwardness into college with her but she came out looking like one of the smartest people she knew. The cheeriness and sunshiny personality just helps make her more attractive.

"Because this tour is _so_ long," Riley answers, running a hand through her long brown locks. "And I know you're struggling, but missing him is okay." Maya just shoots Riley a look to tell her to shut up and she does, choosing to inhale her doughnut instead.

_How they're never gonna live without it_

"Hello, ladies!" a suave voice comes from the door of the suite, followed by a brunette with a huge smile on his face. "Guys, why do you look so sad?" The NASA engineer’s smile falls a little bit.

“Yeah, thanks Captain Obvious,” is Maya’s snarky response. Her best friend elbows her.

"We're fine," Riley reassures her fiancé as he comes to sit on the couch beside her, resting his head on her shoulder. Long strands of chocolate stands drape over Farkle’s pale arm and a smile sneaks across the blonde's face as she watches them interact. They were definitely a couple no one had ever thought could happen, but they had survived this long and planned to get married.

"Don't worry," the artist smiles, "I just miss him." The brunette turns and nods her head before putting it back on his shoulder.

"Maybe we could, you know, shorten the tour or something," the NASA engineer suggests. Both look at him for, in a moment of clarity, Farkle has just had a great idea about something that wasn’t science or his idea of taking over the world. He usually left the ideas to her fiancé. "Or you could take a break and go home." He stands up and does his whole ‘thank you, I am Farkle’ routine before sitting down again.

Riley smiles at the man and the blonde herself beams. "That's a great idea! I'll go home for a few days and come back." She turns to her friend and asks, "Will that do anything bad for the shows?" When Riley shakes her head, the blonde screams and hugs both of them tightly before going into her own room of the suite to pack an overnight bag. 'I'm going home,' she thinks happily.

_We don't even have to talk about it_

Lucas is out in the backyard chopping wood for the coming winter (it isn’t coming for a while but he’s _always_ thinking too far ahead) when he hears tires roll across the gravel. It isn't the mail because he had gotten it already and it can't be his best friend from Texas with his girlfriend because they weren't coming until the weekend. It most certainly can't be Maya because her tour doesn't end until the month after next. He shrugs, thinking it was the neighbors back from yet _another_ vacation when a door slams and the sound of shoes on the gravel makes him stop what he is doing.

Suddenly, warm arms wrap around his waist from behind, a face buries into the space between his shoulder blades. He isn't wearing a shirt, finding it too hot to be working in one anyway, but an electric shock zips up his spine. Lucas can feel warm tears streaming down the other person's cheek to mix with the sweat of his manual labor.

"I'm _home_... I'm _home_... I'm _home_..." Maya’s voice keeps up that mantra as she cries tears of joy. He looks over his shoulder to find the woman he thought wouldn't be home for yet another two months. Her golden hair is pulled up into a ponytail and there are lines of fatigue carved into her face. She pulls back, her eyes still wet with tears, and beams at him. It looks like the first true smile she's shown in months.

"Hey," Lucas’ voice is husky as he turns around, holding her close. Her breath is hot against the skin of his chest and her ocean eyes are sparkling in the sunlight. "What are you doing home?" he asks. "I thought the showing tour was on for two more months. Not that I'm—"

Maya pulls away to look at him, the smile not leaving her face. "What? Did you not want me to come home?" she asks, her voice light and teasing. When he gives her what she likes to call 'the look', she just rolls her eyes. "Riley said I could come home for a few days. Like a mini vacation.”

"Well, I'm just glad you're art is doing so well," he tells her, pulling her to him in a kiss. She smiles against his lips, giggling even, as he picks her up bridal style and carries her into the house. "And I'm glad that you're home for..." He looks down at her, a question in his eyes.

"Two days, babe," she tells him, reaching up to cup his cheek in her hand. "Just two days... but it's enough." Lucas places Maya gently on the bed and she sits up on her knees to wrap her arms around his neck, fingers tangled in his hair, as she kisses him again.

_‘Cause we're livin' it out_

The artist’s tour ends early because Farkle, who had tagged along, and Riley can see she's tired. The pieces are doing amazing for a small not so well known artist. She and Lucas keep in touch when she’s off at galleries and he’s finally made it into the world of theater, having been accepted to play the lead role in a big play. She had never know Lucas was into acting before dating him, seeing as he was a big jock in high school.

“Hey, babe,” he calls her while the others are off taking a break to go through lines. On her side, she’s biting her lip to keep from spilling the secret she’s kept inside for almost a month. Maya’s whole body seems to shake with the effort. He has no idea what’s going on. “How’s life at home?” He’s asked her that many times and she always answers the same.

“Fine,” she tells him, tasting iron as she breaks into the skin of her lip. “Everything’s fine.” But he can hear the slight tremor in her voice and he automatically knows something is _not_ fine.

“Short Stack, I _know_ you’re lying,” he calls her out sternly. She’s pressed her forehead against the cool of the wall, a tan hand on her shoulder keeping her steady. She’s on her cell so Lucas doesn’t know that she isn’t at home but with Riley in New York City. “Is everything okay?”

_That's what makes it love_

Before Maya can answer, the brunette behind her rips the phone from her hand. “I don’t care if this is your first chance at making it big, or whatever, your girlfriend needs you more than the theater world does.” Maya, slumped against the wall beside the leggy brunette is frowning, her lip back between her teeth.  Riley doesn’t give him time to answer, just throws the phone down in time to hold Maya’s hair up as she puts her breakfast into the porcelain bowl of the toilet. She tugs blonde hair into a ponytail and rubs her back as she whispers soothing words.

“ _Why_ can’t I tell him?” Maya asks, more to herself than to the woman beside her. “Why am I so _scared_?”

“Listen to me.” Riley’s voice is stern in her ear, a remnant of when the girl had to remind her to stay on the right path. “He’s going to find out sooner or later, but saying it over the phone?” Tan hands on her hips, the brunette stands above the blonde. “Don’t you want to see Lucas’ reaction?” Her eyes are sparking with something the artist can’t figure out. “Don’t you want him to place his hands to you and coo like he should?” She’s sweeping chocolate hair from her eyes as she looks around the room. “Don’t you want that?”

“I—” the blonde starts, “I just want him to love me and not leave me. Like my dad left my mom.”

“Oh, Peaches, he won’t leave you for the world,” the chocolate haired woman says as she takes the other girl’s hand and pulls her up. “He’s love you even more for it, not less.”

“We’re still young, Riley! What if he isn’t ready? He’s twenty seven years old. That’s the same age my dad was when he left us...left my mom.” The blonde throws her hands up in the air in frustration. “His career is just starting and I’m working on my next set of pieces. This would make everything fall apart. I can’t do that to him… I just… I can’t.” Tears are streaming down her cheeks, eyes already red from crying, as Riley pulls her close.

“I’ve seen the way you two look at each other,” the brunette’s voice is soft as she tries to sooth the small girl inside the woman before her. “He doesn’t care what he has or what he does with his life. All he cares it that you’re in it. All he wants is _you_!”

“But will he still want me enough to put his career on the line, enough to throw away all that he’s worked for?” Maya’s voice is trembling with sobs, her tears coming from the ocean storming inside her.

“Why don’t we see what he says?” Riley strokes her best friend’s wavy gold locks down, twisting one behind her ear as it comes undone from the ponytail. At the other girl’s nod, she pulls her up and the two of them watch reruns of _FRIENDS_ and _How I Met Your Mother_ for the rest of the day, calling out favorite lines and booing the bad guys. By the end of the night their eyes are full of laughter and the brunette’s heart is lighter.

“Ring power?” Riley asks quietly in the dark when they are curled up in her bed.

“Ring power,” Maya says softly as she swallows back a sob, tangling the finger her friendship ring is one with Riley’s.

_That's what makes it a love song_

“You’re what…?” Lucas asks her to repeat her statement. His voice cracks as he looks down at his girlfriend, eyes wide with shock.

“I’m sorry!” Maya cries, not seeing the reaction she wants all. Behind her Riley looks on, her eyes watching with wary hazel eyes. “I didn’t mean for it to happen… but it did… and we can’t go back because, even if you don’t want this, I’ll do it on my own.” There are tears again as she looks down, pulling away from him to curl up on the bed: legs folded, arms wrapped around knees, head resting between thighs and stomach, golden waves creating a curtain from the world. Maya can’t bear to look at him, a choked sob rent from her throat at the thought of losing him. Her dark haired friend steps forward only to be glared at by the man, his forest green eyes full of questions that she has no right to answer.

“Hey.” Lucas puts a hand on her back, his gestures soft as he tries to show her through actions what she doesn’t seem to be accepting in words. He reaches under the curtain of her hair to cup her chin. Smoothing a thumb over her jaw, he pulls her head up until their eyes meet. “Pancakes, you don’t have to be afraid or sorry. _Never_ be sorry for the amazing thing we did… the amazing thing we _created_ together.” Her sides of the bed sags as he sits beside her and her milk chocolate eyes are watching his every move. Riley leave the room to give them some time to work it over, texting Farkle about maybe catching some lunch if he wasn’t busy.

“But then why—?” Maya tries to ask but is cut off when she feels his soft lips on her own. They move together, creating a tangled universe in the lilac sheets that is all their own.

Lucas pants above her, eyes soft and dark in the dim light of the early sunset. “Because I wanted to hear you say it again.” He beams at her, teeth gleaming as he bends down to nibble on the skin of her neck, pulling a soft sound from her. “I could hear you say it over and over again and I would never turn away.”

“I love you so much, Ranger Rick” she whispers in the darkness of the oncoming night. “I’m sorry I’m ruining your career.” There is water again in her eyes as she blinks it back, the sting making her curse softly.

“Pancakes,” he starts, resting his forehead against hers. She blinks once, twice, three times and he wipes a tear from her cheek. “My career doesn’t matter, my job doesn’t matter.” When she is about to open her mouth to say something else he stops her with his words, “You're the _only_ thing that matters.”

And she is crying again, weakly punching his shoulder and yelling at him for being cheesy and making her cry. And he's laughing right there with her, pretending her punches hurt. "But how are we—?" He shuts her up by pressing his lips to hers: soft golden hair brushing against his face, tasting her tears in their kiss, one hand wrapped around his wrist as he tilts his head to kiss her deeper.

"We'll figure it out… together," Lucas whispers in her ear, placing a soft kiss beside it that makes her gasp and arch her body slightly into his. "But you should stop worrying, because I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," Maya growls, pulling him closer to her, a giggle tumbling from her lips as he tickles her sides. She turns her head to the side to let him recapture her lips in a searing kiss, pouring all the love into her that he can show. They might not know what to do, but those worries are for the future.

_That's what makes it love_

Lucas watches in awe as the nurse swaths the small bundle in the warm blankets she made him bring from home. Maya’s voice is soft as she coos and babbles, placing her finger in the little creature hand. Suddenly, she looks up at him, blue eyes tired and bright, as she grabs his hand and pulls him to her. Placing a tender yet exhausted kiss on his lips, she takes his hand in hers, puts it under a soft and weak neck.

“What should we name her?” Maya asks as she helps Lucas hold the small bundle in his arms, her hand guiding him to her head. He beams as the small miracle opens its eyes and blinks up at him, warm sea glass green eyes shining in the ambient light of the hospital.

“What do you want to name her?” Lucas asks, watching her as she takes the bundle from his arms and brings it to her chest. The nurse had come in before and explained to breastfeed and how it would feel strange at the beginning. She pulls down the side of the scratchy gown and the child latches on, feeding hungrily.

He watches as her face scrunches up in pain before she smiles at him. “I really like Victoria…” she starts, looking to him for approval. “It means heart.” He nods and takes a seat on the plastic chair beside her bed, looking her over.

“Where is my godchild!?” Riley rushes into the room with a scream, her dark hazel eyes almost shining with joy. The baby jerks away from its mother and begins to cry again, a wail that is almost unbearable. “She’s beautiful,” the woman breaths as she takes the small bundle and cradles it in her arms.

“Hey,” the new mother beams as she watches her best friend—who has always talked about children but wanted to wait until after marriage—hold the small baby as if it was porcelain. “It’s great to see you.”

“I'm so happy for you guys,” the raven haired woman beams as the small baby tries to reach for one of her straight locks. “What’s her name?” Hazel eyes blink up at her.

“We were thinking about Victoria, meaning heart,” the blonde answers. “Or maybe Victoria, which means victory... Because this is one victory in our life that I never wanna forget.” She smiles as Riley begins to coo and the baby gurgles back.

“I like Victoria a little better,” the man in the room admits, looking between the two women and his child. Maya rolls her eyes at him because she knows he’ll let her pick the name either way. “She’s gonna have a big heart, just like her mom.” Both women chuckle as he tries to take the baby from them.

“Your flattery will get you nowhere, Ranger Rick,” the new mother reprimands him with a smile.

“It got me an amazing girlfriend, and a beautiful child,” he whispers. She giggles and wraps one arm around him, the other still holding the newborn to her body. He smiled and copied her movement, almost beaming as she snuggled up against him.

“Aww, you guys are _so_ cute!” Riley rushes to the end of the bed where she snaps multiple pictures of the beautiful new family. He even leaned down to kiss her and put an arm on the baby for the picture. “This is _definitely_ going into my next portfolio.” She beams, the photographer inside her sparking as she realizes the perfect opportunity for a new showcase is right in front of her.

_That's what makes it a love song_

They are at the Academy Awards, waiting for Lucas’ name to be called for Best Male Actor in the category of Horror/Mystery. _Wish Upon A Star,_ the play Farkle—who had taken time off from being a NASA engineer to dip his feet into acting— starred in, has already won Best Horror/Mystery movie and Riley, sitting beside her, is shaking with joy. His speech was short and concise, his smile wide as he thanked his fiancé and supportive friends, his staff and all of the people in the production.

“And the Best Male Actor in Short Films is…” the announcer is looking out at the crowd with a big smile on her face. And then she is announcing Lucas’ name and her hand feels like it’s going to break from the pressure he is putting on it. When he is still in shock, sitting there with a blank look on his face, she kisses his cheek and pushes him into the aisle. He stumbles to the podium and accepts the award from the beautiful actress with a kind smile. He is holding it up and thanking everyone, although he has yet to mention Maya or their daughter. Speaking of her daughter, she needs to call her mother to check up on the small child; her mom had promised that she would take care of her, having already taken care of one now grown girls. With a small smile on her face, she stands up and walked into the aisle, her friends shooting her strange looks. But then Lucas is calling her name and she spins around in confusion as he beckons her to the strange. She obeys.

“What are you doing?” she hisses in his ear as she stands beside him.

“Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Lucas whispers back. The actress that has announced the award is smiling as if she knows what was going on, which she does. He brings her to the front of the stage, in front of the podium. Before all of the spectators and guests attending, he gets down on one knee and takes out a small black box. “We’ve been together for such a long time. We have a beautiful daughter and many supportive friends.” She brings a hand to her mouth in shock, a tear falling down her cheek.

Below, her two best friends are beaming at each other. They had been with her since her cynical days full of lost dreams and hopes that were never to be accomplished. Now, those two friends are going to get married to each other and she’s really happy for them. They listen as Lucas goes on and on about their life together, from the day they met until their child was born. Farkle is squeezing Riley’s hand, handing her a tissue with the other so that she can dab at the mascara running down her cheeks. “I’m so happy for her,” the woman sobs, her tears warm on her cheeks. The engineer/actor nods with a smile.

On stage, he pops the question. “Will you marry me?” Lucas asks, looking up at her. His forest green eyes are sparkling crystals in the stage light. Maya is crying tears of happiness and almost relief—she thought he was never going to ask her—and she doesn’t care if she looks stupid or if she embarrasses him. She collapses beside Lucas with a huge smile on her face as she nods before crying out a happy yes to the crowd. There is pandemonium as everyone attending shouts happy wishes for the newly engaged couple. Even the announcer, who has been standing on the side happily, comes to congratulate them. They walk off the stage with huge smiles on their faces, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

_That's what makes it love_

“Why’d you do that, Huckleberry?” Maya asks him later when they are lounging in bed. “Why’d you do that in front of all of those people?” She is shaking her head, blonde hair falling across her bare shoulders. She is wearing one of his old shirts over a sky blue camisole, a flannel he’s obsessed with. The shoulders of the shirt are slipping down and pool at her elbow to bare both her shoulders. A pair of boy shorts completes the outfit. “I mean, you could’ve proposed privately or something.” But she is smiling and he knows that she doesn’t care where he did it.

“Because I wanted to show the world that you’re mine, Pancakes.” Lucas kissed her tenderly, cupping her face in his hand. “Everyone needs to know that I’m taken, and that you are too.” She smiles into the softness of his lips as he pulls her closer. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

She blinks the haze from her eyes and beams. “I want to spend my lifetime loving you, too,” she whispers. They are alone in the house; her mother had begged her to let their child stay over for the night. And so they cuddle together and watch the movie he stared in over and over again until she falls asleep in his arms, her golden curls splayed across his chest.

“I love you,” he whispers into the darkness as he shuts off the TV and pulls her closer to him. They fall asleep in peace, intertwined.

_That's what makes it a love song_

“We’ve gotten this far, we can’t give up now,” Lucas tells her as he sits beside her on the couch. She looks up at him.

“I know but she’s just so… so _infuriating_!” Maya screams as she buries her hands in her hair. “I mean, she never tells me anything and she’s always out late and she—” He interrupts her with a kiss.

“She’s a teenager, Pancakes.” He chuckles. “She’s gonna be like that. I mean, you were the same way.” She rolls her eyes and pecks him on the cheek before going up the stairs to where the music is pounding. “Tori, open this door!” The music stops abruptly and a brunette haired girl rips open the door.

“What?” the sixteen-year-old snaps, really not in the mood to be yelled at. Her hair looks like a reddish brown in the ambient light of the hallway and her brown eyes are narrowed.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry for yelling at you before,” the older woman says, running a hand through her hair. “I just wanted you to be here when everyone comes over.” The brunette sighs as her daughter leans against her door, arms crossed.

“Mom, they’re _your_ friends, not mine,” Victoria rolls her eyes. “Everyone’s going to this bonfire down on the beach. I want to go!” She’s pouting, full lips turned down into a frown.

“Honey, listen to me,” the brunette takes her daughter in her arms. “They’ve been dying to see you. Why don’t we have our own bonfire… we do have a private beach right outside.”

“You would do that… for me?” her eyes brighten as she realizes what her mother’s saying. Although Maya is slightly afraid of fire, having almost burned down the house when Victoria was a child because she was making cookies, she’d do that to make her daughter happy. The older woman nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.

“You can even invite Jade,” the older woman watches as her daughter beams. Both laugh as she kisses her mother on the cheek before rushing back into her room to call her girlfriend.

The blonde turns around with a smile when she sees her husband. “You caved, didn’t you?” Lucas askes as he pulls her into a hug. She nods against his chest.

“She’s wanted a bonfire on the beach for so long, and now she gets to have one,” Maya beams at the raven haired man. “I’ve been thinking… you know how she loves animals and her birthday is coming up soon…” He nods. “We should get her a puppy or something.”

“Pancakes, we had baby sea turtles hatching in our backyard last week,” he shakes his head, “she slept on the beach with her girlfriend so they could protect them.” The woman giggles and suddenly the door opens.

“I know you’re talking about me,” Victoria accuses them, her hands on her hips. “The door isn’t sound proof.” Her long chestnut hair hangs almost to her waist and she pulls it into a quick French braid. She has never let Riley friend, who had decided to become a hair stylist once she had Catherine. The only thing she would get cut were the split ends and her bangs.

“Well, we were just talking about how you and Jade saved those turtles,” the woman smiles. “You’re going to be a marine biologist when you grow up, right?”

“I was actually thinking about writing a book, Mom,” she beams. “Or owning a horse or something.” The two adults roll their eyes. Together they leap at the girl and chase her around the house, deaf to her shouts and pleas to stop.

They’re a happy family, even after all the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations, all of the tears and sweat and pain. He places an arm around each of his girls as they all fall onto the master bed. “My girls,” he whispers as they lay there, content with their lives. Tomorrow doesn’t matter, yesterday is forgotten, but the present is all they knew.

**Author's Note:**

> Just something I wrote for Lucaya. The song is Love Song by Mirinda Lambert. Yes, I did make Lucas into an actor along with Farkle but I feel like that was something he might do if he didn't go into sports or teenage counseling. Tell me what you think!


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